


When I Need You

by tompolland



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie) Spoilers, Childhood Memories, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I did it again, Injury, Precious Peter Parker, Reader-Insert, im sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-05-29
Packaged: 2019-05-13 17:11:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 5,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14752946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tompolland/pseuds/tompolland
Summary: Peter is your best friend. He’s been your best friend for so long, you don’t remember a time when you weren’t doing something together. When you needed him most, he’d be there for you. Now more than ever. But this time, he’s a little too late.





	1. Just Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Hiya kiddos!  
> I’m suffering from major writers block, but I have a few ideas down on paper :) (just a lack of motivation)... but anyways, here’s a fic that will probably be 2 or 3 chapters long... knowing me it’ll be longer!  
> Thanks for reading and leaving comments and kudos!

 For as long as you could remember, you and Peter Parker had been the best of friends. Always there for each other.

* * *

 

_“Come on, Y/N!” young Peter yelled. “Let’s get back inside before it starts raining!”_

_The two of you, seven at the time, began to run towards the door of the apartment building. Even running fast, you couldn’t beat the rain. You slipped and fell, scraping your knee on the sidewalk._

_“Peter!” you yelled, cradling your knee. He stopped, and looked back at you. You were sitting in a puddle, and the rain was dampening your hair. He ran back to you and knelt beside you._

_“Come on, Y/N, we’ve got to get inside...”_

_You sniffed and nodded, accepting Peter’s arm. He helped you up, and you hobbled inside. His Aunt May patched you up, but the whole time he stayed by your side with a concerned look on his face. He didn’t stop asking until he was sure you were 100% better._

* * *

 

_12 year old Peter was sitting in the library, glaring down at a packet of math study sheets. He heard someone sit next to him, and looked up to see you._

_“Hey Y/N...” he mumbled, and looked back down at his paper._

_You frowned. “What’s up, Peter?”_

_He sighed. “This math packet... I have the notes and the study sheets, but I just can’t understand it!”_  
  
_“Move over,” you said, and when he did, squeezed next to him in his chair. He laughed, and looked down at the paper._  
_With your tongue sticking out to the side, you wrote an example problem. Peter listened as you explained how to do it while you filled it out. Then, you made another problem and had Peter solve it._

 _“I did it!” he exclaimed. “Thank you, Y/N... you should be a teacher, you explain things better.”_  
_You laugh and shake your head, before the two of you perform your special handshake._  

* * *

 

 You were excited when you heard that Peter had gotten a Stark Internship. He called you right after he found out, and he said he was on his way for his first training session. You congratulated him and told him to have fun and good luck!  
When homecoming was approaching, Peter said he wanted to ask Liz to go to the dance with him. You were a little sad, because your friendship with Peter had become a little crush. But at the same time, you were happy for Peter and told him to go for it.

 You were the first person to know everything that happened in Peter’s life. Not even Aunt May or Ned knew before you. Sometimes not even Peter knew, and you had to keep a secret. When Peter told you he had a date with Liz to the dance, you told him to come over for a little celebration.  
You went out to eat at a burger joint, laughing and chatting while you enjoyed your meal.

 Unknown to you, before Peter succeeded in getting Liz to come with him to the dance, Ned and MJ had confronted him. 

 “Are you sure about Liz?” Ned asked.

 Peter nods. “Uhm, Yeah... I’ve been crushing on her, you know that!”

 Ned shook his head. “What about Y/N?”

 Peter is silent for a moment. “We’re just friends,” he says quietly. 

 Ned sighs, shaking his head again. “Whatever you say, man.” 

 At the homecoming dance, you saw Peter looking through the door. He looked really nervous and in a daze, until he walked in. You watched as he went up to Liz and said something you couldn’t hear over the music, and he ran away.  
Ned disappeared later that night, and it turns out he was in the computer lab. You were worried about Peter, but you didn’t want to concern Aunt May and call her.  
 Late that night, you had gotten home and you were dragging your feet with your heels in hand as you went into your room. You were shocked when you saw Peter sitting cross-legged on your bed.

 “Peter Parker, where on earth-“ You saw that he was bruised and bloody. “Oh my god...”  
 You rushed to the edge of the bed and cradled his cheek. “What happened?!”

 He gulps. “I uh... I got into a bit of a fight...”

 You raise your eyebrows at him and scoff. “A bit? Peter, you look like you were crushed by a building! Come on, let’s get you fixed up.”  
 Half an hour later, you applied the final bandaid to Peter’s forehead and handed him and ice pack and a water.  
 “So you left the dance because you heard someone outside making a lot of noise... and you got into a fight?”  
  
 Peter nods and winces. “Yeah... something like that. Just gotta help everyone out I guess.”

 You laugh for a moment and stand. “Come on, Parker. Let’s get you home.”

* * *

 

_(After homecoming, but before IW.)_

 “Peter? Peter!”

 Peter lifted his head from the desk, where he was watching a spider-man video.

 “Uh... Yeah?”

 The teacher sighed. “Can you answer the problem on the board?”

 He nodded and stood, taking the marker from her hand. You shot him a thumbs-up, and he blushed before turning to the board. He stayed up their a little longer than necessary before throwing the marker into the little bin and running to his desk.  
 The teacher rose an eyebrow at him, and looked at the board, explaining what Peter had done.  
 Meanwhile, Peter’s face was red and his legs were folded in an awkward way. You gave him a ‘what’s going on’ look before the red on his face seemed to darken, if it was still possible.  
 Your eyes widened and you stifled a giggle. Always at the worst possible moments, and poor Peter happened to have one one of those unfortunate moments.  
 You knew what you needed to do. Fortunately, it was December, and the snow had just begun to fall for the first time.  
  
 “Look, it’s snowing!” you shouted, and all of your classmates turned to look out the window. The teacher sighed, and Peter ran to the desk before the students turned back around to ask if he could go to the bathroom. As he left, he mouthed a silent ‘thank-you,’ and you just grinned.  
 After class, you were laughing with Ned and MJ about what had happened during class. Peter was blushing madly and avoiding everybody’s eyes. You elbowed him and he looked up at you, chewing on his salad. (It was ironic since he was wearing a shirts that that said ‘Lettuce... the taste of sadness.)

 “Sorry to laugh, Peter. It was just such bad timing...”

 “What even triggered it?” Ned asked. “I mean, I know it’s a nat-“

 “I’m gonna stop you there, Ned,” MJ said, glaring at him. “I don’t need a repeat of 8th grade health.”

 You and Peter laugh, while Ned pouts and focuses on his lunch. When the bell rings, you and Peter head to your lockers to grab your stuff for English.

 “Oh, Y/N... Aunt May wants you to come to dinner tonight, is that alright?”

 You smile and nod. “Of course it is! I’ve been going to your place for years, Peter. Just like you’re welcome at mine.”  
He laughs, and the two of you go to class.

 After school, you tell Peter you’ll be there in about two hours. You text your father to let him know that you’ll be stopping at home before you go. But first, you decide to get dessert for the Parkers.  
 You know Peter likes donuts, so you walk a small distance towards the bakery that had the best donuts you know.  
 But when you cross the street, a driver on their phone doesn’t see you and slams into you. Your backpack goes flying, and you go in the opposite direction. Your head hits the pavement, but the pain is all over. As it happened, you caught a glimpse of something red and blue out of the corner of your eye.

 The last thing you see before losing consciousness is the mask of your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man.

Too late to save you. 


	2. A Hero

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am super excited to finish writing this story, enjoy chapter two! Thank you for reading and leaving comments/kudos!

 Beep.

 Beep.

 A flash of light. Sirens. Someone’s speaking to you... Peter? No... Sp-

 Darkness.

 You don’t know how long.

 You hear them. You hear May, Peter, and your father... never at the same time. Only when you tell yourself to. Only when you can.

 Peter.

 “Come on, Y/N...” he whispers. “Open your eyes for me...”

 You have to. You have to, for him. Open... open your eyes...

 Tired.

 Beep.

 Beep.

 Ned. Michelle. Peter.

 Again, Peter begging you to open your eyes. 

 “Y/N, I know you can do it... I know you can open your eyes for me... please... I... I lo-”

 He was cut off.

 Today, you would. You would open your eyes... do it for him, do it for him...

 You blinked. Your eyes adjusted. Hospital... what happened? Oh yeah... car crash... Spider-Man.  
  
 “Y/N?” a small voice croaks.

 You concentrate, and blink. “Yeah,” you rasp.

 Peter! Peter’s holding your hand, looking down at you. He’s crying. You offer him a small smile.

 “Hey there, Parker,” you whisper. “Can I have some water?”

 He nods hurriedly and fumbles with a paper cup, putting it to your lips. After taking a few sips, you close your mouth and a little water dribbles down your chin. Peter tenderly wipes it away with his sleeve, before sniffing and wiping at his own eyes. You can tell he’s trying not to cry, but failing miserably.  
  
 “Peter?” you say.

 He sniffs again and looks up at you.   “Yeah?”  
 There’s a smile on his face, but his eyes are red and watery, his cheeks raw and stained by salty tears.

 “I’m alive,” you say. “What... what happened?”

 “W-well you were h-hit-“

 “No, I know that... what’s happened to me, physically... I can’t... I can’t feel my legs...”

 Peter can’t seem to stop crying. He takes a deep breath. “You might be paralyzed. Your legs, they might be paralyzed. You had a concussion, an-and you broke a few ribs... but...” He lifts up his shirt to reveal a bandage of his own. “Y-you’ve been out for a week. At the beginning, one of your kidneys was f-failing, so I... I donated one,” he finishes with a whisper.

 By this point, you’re tearing up as well. “Oh, Peter...” you whisper.

 He collapses on you, giving you a hug. At least your arms are alright and you can return it, but not without a slight pain in your chest. He’s crying into your shoulder, and you’re rubbing his back.  
When he finally pulls away, he buries his face into his jacket sleeve.

 “I’m just so happy you’re alive... I- Y/N...” he looks down at you with the biggest, most brownest puppy-dog eyes. “I like you. A lot. More than just a friend...?”  
 You’re looking up at him with an emotionless face. He bites his lip and looks down at his lap. “Sorry... I wasn’t sure if you felt the same way, Ned and MJ kept telling me you did an-and then this happened and I-“  
 You cut him off by pressing a finger to his lips. His eyes widen. You move your hand to the side of his cheek and gently cradle it in your palm.  
 With a slight tug, you pull Peter down centimeters from your lips.  
 “Y/N...”  
 You press your lips against his, savoring the moment. Your eyes flutter shut, and Peter hesitantly moves his lips beneath yours. His tongue presses gently at the seam of your lips, and you both know it’s the other’s first time. But is beautiful.  
Soon, all that can be heard is the gentle smack of lips and soft sighs from the two of you.

* * *

 “Peter?” you whisper, turning your head to look at him. After the nurse tended to you that night, and you begged her to let Peter stay, he climbed next to you in your bed and simply held hands.

 “Yes Y/N?”

 “Before I blacked out... I saw someone, I think it might’ve been Spider-Man.”

 Peter tensed up a little at the name. “Uh... Yeah, probably... I mean, it’s his job to save people from incidents like that...”

 You sigh. “Bit late. I think I can forgive him though.”  
 Peter shifts for a moment.  
 “How did you find out?” you ask.

 Peter sighs and pulls his hand away from yours. “Y/N... I have to tell you something...”

 You raise an eyebrow at him. “Well, spill it.”

 He takes a deep breath, and shakily speaks. “I- I am Spider-Man. I watched as the car hit you, I was on my way to save you, but I was too late...” he sniffs. “It’s my fault you cant use your legs right now. It’s all my fault.”

 You’re silent, but you find his hand again. “It’s okay, Peter. It’s not your fault. It was the driver who was on their phone, not you. My Spidey,” you say, moving your other hand to cup his cheek. He sniffs and leans into your palm.

 “I’m still sorry though. I should’ve been there sooner...”

 You shake your head. “No, Peter. Stop. It isn’t your fault, and it never will be. Think about it, you were the one that donated your kidney. You saved me, Peter. Not Spider-Man, you. You’re a hero, even without that suit.”

 He uses his free hand to wipe at his cheeks. It’s been quite a theme of the night, wiping away tears.  
 You simply kiss again, until you bid each other goodnight and fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment?


	3. It Was Almost Fine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you so much for all the support on this work! It means so much to me <3  
> Second of all, this chapter was actually written twice! The first version was nice and happy... the second one was just really sad.
> 
> I’m sorry.  
> *Hides in corner*  
> I’m evil... 
> 
> *MAJOR infinity war spoilers*

 The next day, after Peter left for school, a Doctor came in and ran a few tests. When she finished, she said she had some good news and some bad news.

 "The good news is, you're healing nicely. You might even be able to go home soon. With precautions, of course. The bad news... you might never be able to use your legs again, unless you're that determined and participate in some sort of intense physical therapy." The Doctor sighs and takes off her glasses.  
 "Right now, we can supply a wheelchair for you to get around to places like school and home. Maybe that young man that was here earlier can help you."  
 You nod, and thank the Doctor for all she's done. Wiping away the tears that have formed in your eyes, you let the fact that you might never be able to walk or run ever again sink in. That same morning, your father and Aunt May visit you, which is nice since you had to wait a few hours for Peter to get out of school. Apparently, while you were out, he brought his homework with him to wait for you to wake up. It's like he never left your side, except he had for school. And that's really only one special reason you loved him. You were always there for each other, no matter what.

 It was around noon when you first heard the noise. Screeching noises, crashing, screaming, so much noise. But the blinds on your window were closed. You couldn't see a thing. Suddenly, all the noise stopped. Outside your room, doctors, nurses, and mobile patients were running like mad. But all you could do was lift your head and watch.  
 Hours passed. School ended at 2:30, and Peter had told you that even though he was going on a field trip, he would be back in time to visit at around 3:00. It was 3:05, and there was no sign of Peter. You grew worried and restless, but you couldn't move and nobody was telling you what all the loud noise outside had been. More time was going by, and the next thing you knew, it was 6 pm. No sign of Peter.  
 Feeling sad and worried, you slowly adjusted yourself to the best of your ability into a more comfortable sleeping position. You hoped that, since it was a Friday and tomorrow would be the weekend, Peter would be there first thing in the morning.

 He wasn’t there. The Doctor came in again and asked if you wanted to try out a wheelchair, but she seemed pretty shaken and alarmed. As you were wheeled out of your room. You saw patients and family members crying into what seemed like piles of ashes.

 “W-what happened?” you asked the nurse pushing you.

 He gulped. “I honestly have no idea. People began to sort of fade away at random… leaving just dust behind.”

 You bit your lip. Did the loud noises have something to do with it?  
 After your quick ride around the hospital, you were taken back to bed and propped up against the pillow. The nurse came in with a tray of breakfast and some DVDs. By the time you finished two episodes of Doctor Who, it was around lunch time. There was a knock at your door.  
 The nurse, whose name was Arthur, came in followed by… Tony Stark?!

 “Y/N, Mister Tony Stark is here to visit you. He has quite a bit to tell you, so I’ll leave you to it. Mister Stark, if she needs anything, don’t hesitate to call for me or another nurse.” With that, Arthur left the room.  
 Tony moved to sit in the chair next to your bed. He looked tired, and he had a few cuts and bruises on his face.  
 “I suppose you’re wondering why I’m here,” he said, his voice quiet and almost smooth. You nodded, a million emotions and questions floating through your head.  
 “Yesterday, at around noontime, a spacecraft landed here in New York. I don’t know if your blinds were open… but it’s pretty bad. It’s also linked with the fading people…”  
 Tony sighs, and his head hands over his hands. “Us, the Avengers, went up against a powerful extraterrestrial being, Thanos. Just imagine an oversized raisin wearing a sort of gold armor. He was collecting these stones, infinity stones, and with all of them… with just a snap of his fingers…”  
 He sniffs and wipes his tears away. If Tony Stark is crying, it can’t be good.  
“With just a snap of his fingers,” he continues, “half of the population universe would turn to dust. He thought it would bring balance… but all it’s brought is chaos and sorrow.”

 Your eyes widen. “Oh my god... Peter, he’s supposed to be here, he’s always here for me, like I’m here for him... where is he?!” You’re so frustrated that you can’t move your goddamn legs. Damn paralyzation. “He was at school, on a field trip… he always comes to visit, no matter what… he didn’t come yesterday, not even as Spider-Man… Mr Stark?”  
 You can tell, even though his face is buried in his hands, that he’s crying.

 “Mr Stark?”

 He lifts his head, sniffs, and blinks a few times.  
 “He left the field trip. He fought alongside me. He’s gone. I’m so sorry.”

 You blink. It can’t be. “No...” you whisper. “No, I need him here. I need him here, he can’t be gone... HE CAN’T BE GONE!” You're sobbing now, and Tony is trying to calm you down. The Doctor and two nurses come in, and then- 

you’re asleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You good...?


	4. For Him

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kinda short and has a lot of time skips, so bear with me. The good stuff will come soon ;) <3

 You were released from the hospital after Tony’s visit. He had called your father to let you stay at the new Avengers HQ, and signed your discharge papers. 

 You barely ate. You barely slept. And you never left your room. You never accepted any offers for therapy or even grief counseling. You just wanted to be left alone.   
 Peter was gone. To anyone else, you may be acting overdramatic for a person your age. Who gives a fuck. Peter, the kindest, funniest, smartest guy you ever dated was just simply gone. And there was no fanfare, no memorial service, because he was another pile of dust in the trillions in the universe.   
 Not to you.   
 Two weeks after your release, you were staring out of your window, nibbling some toast. There was a knock at the door.   
 You were about to yell at them to go away when the door opened and in stepped Tony Stark.

 “Hey kid,” he says, sitting in your swivel chair.   
 You grunt in reply.   
 He sighs. “The silent treatment. Well, that means I get to do the talking, and I don’t mind.” Pause. “Listen... Y/N... I know it’s tough for you, since you can’t move your legs and you just lost Pete. He was a good boy, and he new you could be better. Do you think he would want this? Want you to sit here, unmoving, not trying in any way to get up and walk? Me and what remains of the team, we’re trying so damn hard to lure that... that purple nut sack of a raisin down to Earth. You’re not the only one experiencing loss, Y/N. You need to try, try for Peter. Do it for Peter, Y/N. He needs you.”   
 Silence.   
 Tony sighs. “Well, that’s all I’ve got. If you want to stay here, isolated in your cave, not helping us bring Peter and our friends back... if we don’t make it, see you in hell.”   
 And the door shuts behind him.   
 Tony didn’t see it, but your struggling to keep back your tears. Peter. You’re being overdramatic, you’re not helping Peter. Peter wouldn’t want this. His heart would be broken, seeing you like this. He would be lifting you up, taking you outside, smiling and congratulating you even if you fell.

 “Friday?”

 “Yes, Y/N.”

 “Can you get Rhodey to come in here?”

 “Of course. Notifying Mister Rhodes.”

 A few minutes later, the man himself walks in. You look up at him, and you can’t tell he looks a little uncomfortable.

 “Rhodey?”

 “Uh... Yeah?”

 “Help me up.”

* * *

_Two days later_

 Left foot. Right foot. Left foot. Right foot.  
 You moved forward in the mechanical pants, forcing your legs to push.

 Peter. Peter. Peter. You can do it, you have to do it for Peter.   
  
 Tony is standing next to you, guiding you. You grunt with every step, and sweat is forming on your forehead.

 Step. Peter. Step. Peter.

 “Y/N?”

 Step. Peter. Step. PETER!

 “Y/N, don’t hurt yourself...”

 PETER. PETER. PETE-

 You step, and you fall. Tony kneels down beside you as you grind your teeth together and gasp for breath.

 “Kid, you’ve got to take it easy... don’t hurt yourself more.”   
  
 You shake your head, and prop yourself up against the glass barrier.   
 “No... no, I’ve got to walk... I’ve got too... I have to save Peter...”

 Tony sighs. “That will take time. First, we have to get you to walk. But that’s enough for today, okay? Let’s get something to eat.”

* * *

  _Three months later_

 Everyday, you trained your legs. With some tech from the Avengers, they were barely paralyzed.   
  
 But right now, you had a meeting with Tony. You made your way to his office, and swung the door open.

 “Y/N!” he exclaims, and point to a chair in front of his desk. You sit and cross your arms.   
 “Y/N, it’s nice to see how much you’ve improved. But we have a little matter to discuss. That being, if we were to create a sort of suit for you, would you be interested in becoming part of the team? I need someone else as smart as me, not that the rest of the team isn’t, but you’re so much younger. Full of potential. So just strengthen you up a bit more.”

 You nod. “Okay... I guess. Let’s see the suit.”

 Tony grins. “I’m glad you brought that up.”   
 Turning to his left, a door slides open and reveals a navy leather outfit, similar to Natasha’s. There are silver arrows on the shoulders, and fingerless gloves. On the ankle part of the boots are two boosters to help you jump and land.

 “Woah,” is all you can say.

 Tony crosses his arms and looks at his design. “Looks good, doesn’t it? Come on, we’ll test it out.”


	5. Be Strong

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: I actually cried while I wrote this. I kid you not. Real tears were shed.
> 
> Please, enjoy. I’m sorry it’s so short... and for all the time skips in the previous chapters. The next chapter will be up soon <3

_One month later_

You had worked your ass off in the lab with the rest of the team to try and find a way to get Thanos to Earth. The universe was still crippled and horrified due to his power. What he thought “good.”  
 But all those sleepless nights of work had paid off. You generated a false signal of mass power, enough to capture Thanos’s attention. And he was there.

 Hours of working together to weaken the Titan and capture him without the ability to use the gauntlet passed. The streets around you were a mess, but everyone had been evacuated. You were so tired, so tired... if you could just rest... but you couldn’t. You had to fight for Peter.

 It was you and Thanos. His gauntlet lay Thor’s axe was inches away from your grasp. You closed your eyes, and let out a breath.

 With a grunt, you thrust yourself forward. Emotions flooded through you. Memories that you and Peter shared flashed through your head.

  _Your first kiss._

_Spider-Man._

_Homecoming._

_Primary school._

_As toddlers._

_You were always there._

 You remembered every moment with Peter, and then you saw his smile. He smiled at you, and you could tell it was him.  
 He looked at you, and the world around you stopped because all you could see was Peter. Light, the sun, was shining. You could feel him cup your cheek. His bright brown eyes looking into yours with such love.

  _Be strong, my love._

 Your eyes watered. Your mouth opened, but no words came out. Peter gave you one last sad smile before you were tossed back to reality.

 You took the love in your heart, the loss, the greif, the pain, and you lifted Thor’s axe. Power flowed through your veins, but it wasn’t extraterrestrial, it wasn’t any scientific formula, wealth, or an accident. It was passion and Peter, but you couldn’t kill.  
 He wouldn’t want you to, not for him.  
 The axe went to Thor’s hand. With a loud noise and a flash of lightning, the world went black.

 But only for a moment. When you open your eyes, you blink. Ash is falling all around you. The street is in ruins.  
 The gauntlet lies amidst the Avengers and the rubble. Amidst the dust and the dead. Slowly, you stand yourself up.  
You turn to be face to face with the Hulk. He lets out a growl, and bounds towards the gauntlet.

 “Bruce, wai-“


	6. Author’s Note

Shit... I wanted to upload another chapter today! Here’s the deal: I had a chapter written but I wasn’t happy with it, and when I fixed it, it didn’t save. Which sucks and now I’m mad.   
So to (hopefully) make up for my stupidity, I shall be writing you a new chapter and maybe a little fic or something on the side. If school doesn’t kill me first. (Pray for me...) <3 

-tennantholland 

(sorry if you got excited and thought this was a new chapter... it’s just me...)


	7. When You Need Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well guys... this is it! (I think...) Again, this chapter was written twice (both similar) but this is the better of the two! Thank you for reading, commenting, and leaving kudos <3 -TH

There’s a sort of ringing noise in your ears... slowly, your eyes open. The air is hazy and the sun is bright. You’re aching all over, and when you move your head you feel a bit dizzy. Squeezing your eyes shut, you slowly sit up against the remnants of a brick building. You take a few deep breaths and force your eyes to adjust to the sights around you.   
 Most of the street is just rubble.  Avengers were standing, looking over it all. Bruce, not the Hulk, was lying on the ground next to the crushed gauntlet. The infinity stones were shattered all around. All that power... simply gone. Maybe that was a good thing.

 Suddenly, there was a strange noise in the air. Almost like crystals on a chandelier tinkling, followed by a puff of wind.   
 Wanda materialized quite a distance to your left. Natasha ran over to her, but she was in some sort of coma. Then, T’Challa. Sam, Time Wizard, some guy you didn’t recognize (Tony told you about the guardians, so you figured it might be Starlord), two... aliens, a tree... where was Peter?   
 Taking a deep breath, you stood up and looked around.

 There, against the remains of what was a beautiful cherry tree, was Peter. Your Peter.

 He looked so peaceful, his eyes closed and his lips parted slightly. The sun graced his cheeks. He was dirty and his hair was floofed, but it was beautiful.   
 And alive.   
 So you ran towards him, ignoring anything that got in your way. Tearing off the gloves on your hands. Before you fell, a sob escaped your lips and your eyes let the tears fall.   
 You landed beside Peter, and brought him into your arms. You looked down at him, cradling him in your arms. He was here, he was alive, everyone was here... Gently kissing his forehead, you leaned back against the stump where he had been.

 And you smiled.

* * *

 It was your turn to be waiting next to a hospital bed. Tony had managed to get everyone to HQ, and even gave Peter a separate room in the medical wing. Which is where you were with him. 

 He still had that peaceful look on his face, even with an oxygen tube in his nostrils and an IV in his arm. Someone had changed him into a soft hospital gown. On the opposite side of his bed were machines to monitor his vitals. It was all part of keeping Peter healthy.   
You never left the room, only when you needed to. And when you did, you would come back as fast as you could and take Peter’s hand. You didn’t want him to wake up alone. You wanted to be there for him, to see his eyes when they did open.

 Two days passed, and everyone had woken up from the coma. Everyone except Peter. Tony suggested that it might be because of his age, being a teenager like you. That didn’t stop you from worrying. Tony agreed to move Peter to your suite, as long as there was space to put the machines (which there was). So that’s where you were, lying next to Peter in bed. The room was eerily quite, even with Peter’s steady breathing and the beeping of the heart rate monitor.

 Which is why you practically jumped out of your skin when Peter’s hand twitched and he mumbled something.

 “Peter?” you whispered.

 His eyes slowly fluttered open. They widened and he frantically looked around the room until he saw you and he relaxed. When he opened his mouth to speak, he began to cough. You grabbed the cup of water that had been left on the bedside table and pressed it to his lips so he could drink. When he finished, you brushed some hair that had fallen into his eyes out of the way.

 “Hey there, sleepyhead,” you whisper.

 He looks up at you with confused and hopeful eyes. “Y-Y/N? Wh- I was...”   
He begins to shake a little, so you wrap an arm around him and pull him against your chest.   
  
 “It’s okay, Peter... I’m here, this isn’t a dream. You’re here, I’m here, everyone is here, Okay?”   
  
 He sniffs and his eyes search yours. He hesitantly reaches a hand up to cup your cheek, and his thumb delicately strokes your skin. “I’m here?”

 You put your hand over his. “Yeah. Don’t worry, Peter. Thanos is gone, we did it.”

 He tears up and hugs you tightly. “I’m- I’m so happy...” he chokes out, and your heart softens. “I’m so happy that we’re all okay.”   
 You smile and kiss the top of his head.

 “And we’re all happy that you’re finally awake.”

 The two of you look up to the doorway to see Tony, Stephen, Peter Q, and Steve. Tony is at the head of the group with a smile. “Hey kid,” Tony says, clasping his hands in front of him.

 Peter let’s out a laugh and slowly sits up, using you for support. “It’s nice to see you, Mr Stark. Mr- Doctor Strange. Other Peter, Steve. All nice to see you.”   
  
 Steve salutes and pats Tony on the back before leaving. Peter Q grins and lets out a wolf whistle at the two of you, to witch little Peter frowns and finds your hand. He laughs and walks out of the room. Stephen waves at the two of you and nods to Tony before he leaves as well.   
Now it’s just Tony, Peter, and you.

 “They were all worried about you, kid. The others are all keeping each other company,” Tony says, sitting in the swivel chair at your desk. “It’s- It’s nice to see you healthy, Pete.”

 Peter smiles and nods. “I think it’s all thanks to you, Mr Stark.”

 Tony’s face lights up and he reaches over to pat Peter on the back. “You’re a good kid, Pete. You too, Y/N. I’ll leave you two to it, you can take all the med stuff out. Someone will be by later to pick it up.”   
 With a final nod, Tony leaves the room. The door shuts behind him.   
You help Peter remove the IV and oxygen tube, then hand him a neat, folded, stack of clothes for him to change into.

 “Y/N?”

 “Yeah?”

“Last time I saw you... your legs were paralyzed...”

 You smile sadly and nod. “Yeah. All better now, though, thanks to Mr Stark.”   
 Peter sniffs and hugs you again. You laugh and pat his back.   
 “Somebody’s in a huggy mode. Don’t worry,” you whisper, “I am too.”

 Peter chuckles and takes your hand in his. “Come on... let’s say hello to the others.”

* * *

 Dinner with the Avengers was an emotional affair, since lovers, friends, and frenemies were reunited. When Tony and Steve brought out the booze, you and Peter politely said goodnight and left for your room. 

After some innocent touching, you and Peter settled down together under the covers in your bed. True to Tony’s word, the med supplies was no longer there.   
Peter held you against his chest, kissing your forehead and stroking your hair.

“I love you,” he whispers. “Thank you for being here with me.”

You look up at him, and after a moment you peck his lips.

“I love you too, Peter. I’ll always be here when you need me.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Peter seems to have a lot of problems down south in my stories... if ya know what I mean...
> 
> Also, the lettuce shirt I mentioned? Peter actually wore it in Infinity War! I actually also own it XD


End file.
